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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pop — soda
  8. deal — to handle
  9. track — to keep track
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — the earth
  13. track — a song
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ground — a position

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