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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wax — to grow
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. court — for sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. deal — to handle
  13. court — of a king
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — of law
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bound — certain
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bank — for money
  24. wax — in the ear

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