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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lean — thin
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. can — to be able to
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. branch — a division
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wax — to grow
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. band — a music group
  24. chest — a box

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