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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wax — to grow
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pop — music
  6. roll — a list
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pop — to visit
  10. roll — a cake
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. snap — to click
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pop — soda
  19. band — a ring
  20. wind — moving air
  21. band — a music group
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wax — for sculpting

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