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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. spell — a short time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cold — an illness
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spell — letters
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. staff — employees

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