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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cap — a lid
  10. roll — a list
  11. bound — certain
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — obliged
  14. deal — to handle
  15. board — a committee
  16. wax — to grow
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rule — government
  21. root — of a plant
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rule — a law
  24. cap — of ice

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