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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 120 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: spell · ball · mug · root · bay · wax · hand · charge

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spell — magic
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. root — of a word
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spell — a short time
  17. charge — a price
  18. spell — letters
  19. root — the cause
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hand — help
  22. mug — a face
  23. charge — in control
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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