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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 · spell · wax · wake · mate · safe · bound · scale

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. spring — of water
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — a short time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — letters
  12. bound — obliged
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bound — certain
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spring — the season
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spell — magic

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