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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 120 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: fan · wound · rash · can · safe · spell · ball · lash

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — a series
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — letters
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — a short time

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