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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: spring · suit · wax · pound · sharp · straw · spell · bass

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spring — a coil
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bass — low music
  5. spell — magic
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spring — of water
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spell — letters
  18. spring — the season
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. suit — to fit
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. spell — a short time
  23. sharp — clever
  24. suit — in cards

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