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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. deal — to handle
  8. row — a line
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — obliged
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. can — a tin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bound — tied together

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