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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. net — after costs
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — for catching
  16. chip — to eat
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fork — in a road
  20. can — to be able to
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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