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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: bore · wax · scale · craft · bay · spell · pound · cue

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. craft — boats
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bore — to drill
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spell — magic
  14. craft — a skill
  15. scale — in music
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spell — letters
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — a signal
  24. scale — for weighing

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