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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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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. spell — letters
  5. content — the amount
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bass — low music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ball — a great time
  24. content — happy

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