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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spring — of water
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wake — a trail
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a music group
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. band — a ring
  16. spring — the season
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ruler — a monarch

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