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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.

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: fine · spell · lean · wind · ball · bound · rash · firm

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — letters
  3. rash — a series
  4. lean — thin
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. bound — certain
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fine — all right
  16. spell — magic
  17. firm — steady
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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