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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lean — thin
  3. spring — of water
  4. row — to paddle
  5. firm — steady
  6. spring — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — a line
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lean — to bend
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — magic
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spring — a coil
  17. firm — a company
  18. spell — letters
  19. firm — decided
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. row — a quarrel

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