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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. key — for a lock
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mate — to breed
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. spring — a coil
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — to crush
  18. key — in music
  19. mate — a partner
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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