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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: foot · rest · spring · wax · fan · perch · bore · bass

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. spring — the season
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bass — low music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — in the ear

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