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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. object — a thing
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bass — low music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. object — to protest
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bass — the fish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. object — an aim
  24. dip — to sink

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