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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
468
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 · nail · wave · saw · rash · kid · foot · bat

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bat — the animal
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. spell — magic
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rash — hasty
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. kid — to tease
  19. spell — letters
  20. kid — child
  21. foot — a measure
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rash — a series

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