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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.

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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: rash · stand · spell · club · root · straw · wave · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. spell — magic
  4. club — a group
  5. root — the cause
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rash — hasty
  8. club — for golf
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — letters
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spell — a short time
  15. root — of a plant
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rash — a series
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — to bear
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. root — of a word

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