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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mug — a face
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hand — help
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a music group
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. band — a ring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mug — a cup
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. straw — a straw man

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