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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. deal — to handle
  6. race — humankind
  7. wax — to grow
  8. race — a contest
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. key — in music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spring — of water
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spring — the season
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. key — the most important part

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