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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
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 · wave · rash · fan · pop · spring · foot · cabinet

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — a series
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pop — music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. spring — of water
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. spell — magic
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. spell — a short time
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spring — the season
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — hasty
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pop — soda
  24. fan — to cool the air

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