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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: ball · hide · rash · wave · pitcher · wind · band · staff

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — hasty
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. staff — employees
  21. rash — a series
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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