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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mate — to breed
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — to cool the air

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