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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. fall — the season
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. deal — to handle
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. can — to be able to
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. can — a tin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. content — the amount
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. snap — to click
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. content — happy
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wax — to grow
  24. deal — an agreement

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