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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: spell · can · fine · tear · court · leaves · net · wax

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. court — of a king
  3. tear — from crying
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. tear — from crying
  8. court — of law
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. tear — to rip
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spell — letters
  22. court — for sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spell — a short time

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