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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · foot · mine · wax · board · mate

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mate — to breed
  3. board — to get on
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. board — a committee
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spell — magic
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mine — for digging
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body

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