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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.

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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: rest · rock · cue · hand · row · bowl · lash · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rest — a break
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — letters
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. hand — help
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rock — music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rock — to move gently

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