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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: lash · content · leaves · spell · bass · wake · key · pop

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pop — music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. key — in music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. content — happy
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — magic
  19. pop — soda
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. content — the amount
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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