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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.

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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: track · wave · band · kick · snap · roll · spell · mate

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spell — magic
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. band — a ring
  6. roll — a cake
  7. band — a music group
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mate — a friend
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. track — a path
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. snap — to click
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. kick — in football
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. roll — a list
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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