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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wax — to grow
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. board — a committee
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — tied together
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ball — a great time
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bound — certain
  20. board — to get on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wax — for sculpting

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