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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — a short time
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. swing — music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spell — letters
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. suit — clothes
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — magic
  23. swing — in golf
  24. snap — to click

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