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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pass — a permit
  3. firm — decided
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. drill — the tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. dip — to sink
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. drill — army training
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pop — to visit
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. deal — a big deal

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