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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: wave · bulb · spell · clip · cue · dip · swing · pitcher

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cue — a hint
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — magic
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — letters
  15. cue — for pool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — music

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