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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rule — a law
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stock — shares
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tear — to rip
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rule — government
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wax — to grow
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stock — goods

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