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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — tied together
  4. net — in sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bound — certain
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rule — a law
  9. wax — to grow
  10. net — after costs
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — for catching
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. deal — an agreement

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