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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: bore · wave · pitcher · band · craft · can · bulb · spell

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. craft — boats
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spell — letters
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a ring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spell — magic
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. can — a tin
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. can — a tin

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