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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. net — after costs
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. net — for catching
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chip — to eat
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. board — a committee
  12. chip — for betting
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wax — to grow
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — the tool
  18. dip — to sink
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. deal — to handle
  24. board — to get on

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