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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: spell · fine · band · spring · wake · saw · cue · wax

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. spring — the season
  2. spell — magic
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. wake — a trail
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cue — a hint
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a music group
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spring — of water
  22. cue — for pool
  23. saw — the tool
  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