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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 120 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: spell · rush · straw · band · wave · vault · perch · content

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. content — the amount
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rush — hurry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — a short time
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. vault — a safe
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. band — a ring
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. spell — magic
  20. content — happy
  21. band — a music group
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. perch — for a bird

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