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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: pass · ball · wax · wound · spell · arm · rash · present

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spell — letters
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rash — a series
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — the time now
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. present — there
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. present — a gift
  22. ball — a great time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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