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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pop — music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kid — child
  12. fork — in a road
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pop — soda
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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