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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: bear · season · fall · bay · scale · spell · tube · toast

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. season — in sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. scale — in music
  9. spell — magic
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. toast — bread
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fall — the season
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. season — of the year
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tube — a container

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