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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wax — to grow
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. deal — to handle
  18. hand — in cards
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. key — in music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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