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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — a series
  12. wax — to grow
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — for a computer

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