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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · current · wax · suit · rest · spell · mate · hand

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mate — a friend
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — of water
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. current — happening now
  8. mate — a partner
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — the season
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. current — electric
  14. spell — letters
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — of water
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hand — help
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rest — a break
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wax — to grow

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