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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. race — humankind
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kid — child
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. staff — employees
  9. kid — to tease
  10. staff — employees
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stock — goods
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wake — a trail
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stock — shares

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