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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: bass · spell · bulb · clip · cue · saw · temple · wax

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wax — to grow
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cue — for pool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — letters
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. clip — a video
  21. bass — low music
  22. spell — magic
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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