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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. can — a tin
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. clip — a video
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wax — to grow

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