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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. clip — a video
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bulb — for light
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wax — to grow
  18. clip — for paper
  19. face — to confront
  20. toast — bread
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wave — of the sea

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