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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: ball · rock · spell · rash · chip · leaves · wind · mouse

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wind — moving air
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rock — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wind — moving air
  11. spell — magic
  12. rash — a series
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. spell — letters
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mouse — 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