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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: spring · wave · pop · spell · firm · toast · band · lean

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — steady
  4. toast — bread
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. firm — decided
  7. spring — a coil
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — magic
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. band — a ring
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spell — a short time
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. band — a music group
  20. spring — of water
  21. pop — music
  22. spell — letters
  23. lean — thin
  24. firm — a company

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