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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. squash — the sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wax — to grow
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — a match
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lash — to lash out

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