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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. scale — size or range
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. deal — to handle
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. scale — in music
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. game — a match
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. saw — the tool

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