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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: scale · present · wave · spell · straw · rush · bay · ground

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. spell — letters
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — a gift
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ground — a position
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ground — crushed
  15. present — the time now
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. present — there
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — in music
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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