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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 116 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. bear — the animal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — to get on
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. degree — temperature

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