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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: swing · hand · wax · bay · rock · pitcher · spell · wound

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rock — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — letters
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wax — for sculpting

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