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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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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: bear · snap · foot · ball · squash · object · wave · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. object — a thing
  3. foot — a measure
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. snap — to click
  8. ball — a great time
  9. object — an aim
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. squash — to crush
  13. band — a ring
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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