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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: hand · staff · wave · ball · lean · date · spell · suit

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ball — a dance
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spell — magic
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. spell — a short time
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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