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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: rest · wave · bay · hand · spell · season · roll · bass

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. season — in sport
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rest — a break
  7. roll — a list
  8. hand — help
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. season — of the year
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — low music
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spell — letters
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. roll — a cake

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