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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.

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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: lean · mouse · date · row · wax · spring · rash · spell

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. lean — thin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spell — magic
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — to bend
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mouse — the animal

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