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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: spring · saw · swing · toast · branch · racket · wax · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. 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. spell — magic
  2. spring — of water
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — letters
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. swing — in golf
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wax — to grow
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spring — the season
  22. toast — bread
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. 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