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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bass — low music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bass — the fish
  16. face — to confront
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mate — to breed
  23. squash — the sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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