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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. spell — magic
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. race — humankind
  8. rest — a break
  9. deal — to handle
  10. race — a contest
  11. spell — letters
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pound — a weight
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  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