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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. degree — from a university
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. hand — help
  10. board — a committee
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. degree — temperature
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. board — to get on
  24. pass — to succeed

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