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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 116 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: spell · perch · mug · stick · band · wound · cell · rock

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spell — letters
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a ring
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — a face
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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