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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. club — for golf
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. chip — to eat
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wind — moving air
  18. club — a group
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. deal — to handle

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