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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
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: mug · bat · spell · cell · wound · roll · bass · wave

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. spell — magic
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spell — a short time
  12. roll — a list
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mug — a face
  20. spell — letters
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bat — the animal

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