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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — to handle
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ground — a position
  18. firm — a company
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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