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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: deal · spring · band · cue · court · wax · spell · lash

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. band — a music group
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — of a king
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — a coil
  9. band — a ring
  10. court — of law
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. court — for sport
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cue — a signal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cue — a hint

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