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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.

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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: spring · pop · spell · cue · dip · pound · march · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spring — of water
  3. pound — a weight
  4. spell — magic
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cue — a hint
  11. spell — letters
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. march — the month
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pop — soda
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spring — the season
  22. dip — to sink
  23. march — music
  24. wax — in the ear

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