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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 112 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. squash — to crush
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. club — for golf
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — to shout
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. club — a group
  23. face — to confront
  24. fan — a supporter

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