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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 120 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: bank · spell · ball · kick · board · hand · bass · suit

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — magic
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bass — low music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — to fit
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kick — in football
  19. ball — a great time
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bank — of a river
  23. board — to get on
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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