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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. roll — a list
  3. board — a committee
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. board — to get on
  11. craft — boats
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. roll — a cake
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kid — child
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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