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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 120 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ball — a dance
  8. net — after costs
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rock — music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. net — in sport

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