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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. ball — a dance
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kid — child

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