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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. game — a match
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — to grow
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bore — to drill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bore — to tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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