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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.

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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spell — magic
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fork — in a road
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rock — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. saw — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spell — letters
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rock — to move gently

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