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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mate — a partner
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bank — of a river
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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