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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: squash · present · season · wave · band · spell · nail · lean

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. season — of the year
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lean — thin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spell — letters
  8. band — a ring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. present — there
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. present — the time now
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. season — in sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lean — to bend

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