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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bulb — for light
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spring — the season
  6. spell — letters
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. charge — in control
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. row — a line
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spell — magic
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spring — of water

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