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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spring — a coil
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — letters
  5. spring — the season
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — to sink
  18. march — the month
  19. spring — of water
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. spell — magic
  23. suit — clothes
  24. leaves — to go away

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