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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bowl · wax · leaves · object · field

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. field — farmland
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. field — for sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. object — to protest
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. field — a subject
  13. spell — a short time
  14. object — an aim
  15. spell — letters
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. bowl — a football final

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