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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pop — music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pop — soda
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fine — high quality
  8. track — a path
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. track — to keep track
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — to visit
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — all right
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — clothes
  24. deal — to handle

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