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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — letters
  12. bass — the fish
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wax — to grow
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — low music
  23. face — to confront
  24. racket — for tennis

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