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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — a group
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. club — for golf
  7. hand — in cards
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — to grow
  11. swing — music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. swing — to play on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. swing — in golf

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