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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: squash · spell · wax · key · ground · track · spring · arm

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spring — the season
  3. ground — a position
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — of water
  7. spell — magic
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. spell — a short time
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wax — to grow
  13. track — to keep track
  14. key — the most important part
  15. track — a path
  16. ground — the earth
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. squash — the sport
  21. track — a song
  22. ground — crushed
  23. squash — to crush
  24. key — in music

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