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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · stick · net · wave · racket · staff · spell · spring

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — letters
  5. net — in sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — a short time
  9. staff — employees
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. spring — the season
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — magic
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com