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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: spell · mine · rash · rock · ball · cabinet · toast · spring

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spell — letters
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — a short time
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a dance
  19. toast — bread
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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