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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.

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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: racket · rule · foot · spell · wax · vault · wind · sharp

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spell — a short time
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rule — government
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rule — a law
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. sharp — clever

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