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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: band · stick · ball · sharp · wave · spell · lie · rash

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rash — a series
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. band — a ring
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ball — a dance
  21. band — a music group
  22. spell — letters
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spell — a short time

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