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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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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: craft · bulb · cold · bass · wax · wave · mark · spell

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bulb — for light
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — to grow
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — boats
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bass — low music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wave — with your hand

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