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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: rush · arm · spell · cold · content · wave · pop · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pop — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pop — to visit
  7. content — happy
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cold — an illness
  14. spell — letters
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pop — soda
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spell — magic
  22. content — the amount
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cold — not warm

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