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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bound — certain
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — letters
  12. wax — to grow
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. roll — a list
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bound — tied together
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wax — for sculpting

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