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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 116 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
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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: wave · spell · drill · file · ball · pound · hand · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ball — a great time
  4. file — a document
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. file — a tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hand — help
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. drill — army training
  20. spell — letters
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. drill — a practice
  24. hand — in cards

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