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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: mouse · spring · fork · lean · spell · chest · leaves · wax

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. spell — magic
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chest — a box
  9. spell — a short time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lean — thin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. spring — the season
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wax — in the ear

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