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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. kid — child
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — to tease
  12. deal — to handle
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — low music
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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