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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 124 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — there
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. present — a gift
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. present — the time now
  16. degree — an amount
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spell — letters
  21. hand — help
  22. wax — to grow
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. prune — to trim

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