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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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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: wave · net · present · kid · stand · bay · rock · spell

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. spell — magic
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. net — for catching
  6. present — a gift
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rock — music
  9. kid — child
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. net — in sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. net — after costs
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. present — the time now
  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