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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kid — child
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bound — tied together
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — certain

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