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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. net — in sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. firm — a company
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. firm — decided
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — to grow
  13. shower — rain
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — for catching
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — to wash
  18. firm — steady
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. suit — in cards
  21. net — after costs
  22. suit — clothes
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. suit — to fit

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