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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mark — a grade
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fine — all right
  18. mark — a trace
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fine — high quality
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — bread

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