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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
468
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 · cold · suit · kid · ball · spell · cue · bass

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cue — for pool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cold — an illness
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. kid — child
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cold — not warm
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bass — low music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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