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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: tube · mine · spell · deal · mate · wax · bark · stand

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spell — letters
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. tube — the underground
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — a partner
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. tube — in a tire

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