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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bound — certain
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fine — all right
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — to grow

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