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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. spell — magic
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. track — to keep track
  6. game — a match
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. track — a path
  9. bore — to drill
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. track — a song
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bore — to tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. plane — in geometry
  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