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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. current — electric
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. current — happening now
  14. kid — child
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. current — of water
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rash — a series
  21. kid — to tease
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pit — a hole

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