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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — to visit
  7. object — to protest
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pop — music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. snap — to click
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pop — soda
  20. wax — to grow
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bound — certain
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. hide — animal skin

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