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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. band — a music group
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. band — a ring
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — child
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. track — a path
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. track — to keep track
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — a song

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