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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · saw · spell · bulb · cue · stick · face · bear

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bass — low music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — to confront
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cue — for pool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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