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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spell — magic
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bear — the animal
  8. object — an aim
  9. ground — a position
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — a thing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. spring — of water
  19. ground — crushed
  20. object — to protest
  21. spell — letters
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spell — a short time

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