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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. rock — music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rock — a stone
  24. saw — the tool

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