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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — the season
  3. scale — size or range
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — of water
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. spell — magic
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. scale — in music
  16. row — a line
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — to paddle
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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