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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. snap — to click
  12. spell — magic
  13. staff — employees
  14. spring — the season
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. staff — employees
  20. spring — of water
  21. wax — to grow
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mouse — the animal
  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