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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.

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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: wave · bark · mate · snap · bulb · current · stick · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. spell — magic
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. current — electric
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. snap — to click
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bark — to shout

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