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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spell — magic
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spell — letters
  12. mark — a trace
  13. object — to protest
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. spell — a short time
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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