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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bass — low music
  6. hand — help
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. deal — to handle
  10. charge — a price
  11. bass — the fish
  12. root — of a word
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wax — to grow
  15. charge — in control
  16. clip — a video
  17. root — of a plant
  18. race — a contest
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. race — humankind

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