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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 · bass · rash · file · squash · craft · patient · cue

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spell — letters
  4. file — a line of people
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. craft — a skill
  9. squash — the sport
  10. file — a document
  11. bass — low music
  12. rash — a series
  13. spell — magic
  14. file — a tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cue — a hint
  20. craft — boats
  21. rash — hasty
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spell — a short time
  24. squash — to crush

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