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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. spell — letters
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spell — magic
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. spell — a short time
  22. band — a music group
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fan — to cool the air

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