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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — to grow
  4. deal — to handle
  5. firm — decided
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. firm — a company
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — a measure
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chip — to eat
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fall — the season
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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