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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.

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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.

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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: mouse · spell · object · mate · wax · content · rest · bay

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — what's left
  3. object — a thing
  4. content — happy
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. object — an aim
  10. rest — a break
  11. mate — a friend
  12. spell — magic
  13. content — the amount
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. spell — letters
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. object — to protest
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mouse — the animal

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