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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · bulb · spring · hand · swing · safe

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spring — of water
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. swing — music
  8. spell — letters
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — magic
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spell — a short time

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