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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: suit · roll · net · band · wave · snap · mark · rash

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. roll — a list
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. band — a ring
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. band — a music group
  7. net — in sport
  8. snap — to click
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mark — a grade
  11. net — after costs
  12. rash — a series
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — clothes
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — for catching
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. roll — on a roll

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