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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: spring · coach · net · object · bound · spell · sharp · wax

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. net — for catching
  10. object — a thing
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spell — a short time
  13. object — an aim
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bound — certain
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. net — in sport
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — after costs
  21. sharp — clever
  22. spring — a coil
  23. object — to protest
  24. bound — tied together

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