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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: fan · rash · net · mine · deal · mouse · spell · wax

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rash — a series
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. net — for catching
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spell — letters
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mine — for digging
  14. net — after costs
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rash — on the skin

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