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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.

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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. object — a thing
  5. wax — to grow
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. net — in sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. object — an aim
  21. deal — to handle
  22. net — for catching
  23. plane — a tool
  24. object — to protest

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