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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: cell · track · foot · spell · row · wave · swing · bulb

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. spell — magic
  5. swing — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — letters
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. spell — a short time
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. track — a path
  20. row — a line
  21. cell — a phone
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. foot — the bottom

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