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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. row — to paddle
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spell — letters
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spring — a coil
  7. suit — in cards
  8. spring — the season
  9. spell — magic
  10. row — a line
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wax — to grow
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spring — of water
  22. fall — to drop
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. suit — clothes

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