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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: present · wax · racket · dip · band · spell · swing · bank

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — magic
  3. bank — of a river
  4. swing — in golf
  5. band — a music group
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bank — for money
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. dip — to sink
  15. spell — letters
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. present — there
  20. swing — music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — for tennis

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