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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spring — of water
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. spring — the season
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. spell — letters
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mug — a cup

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