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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wind — moving air
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mug — to rob
  18. content — the amount
  19. mug — a face
  20. content — happy
  21. mug — a cup
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cap — of ice
  24. deal — an agreement

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