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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ball — a dance
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pass — a permit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — a committee
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pass — to succeed

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