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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: wave · wake · stick · spell · bat · rush · rock · roll

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. spell — letters
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rock — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bat — the animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. roll — on a roll

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