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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to click
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. rock — a stone
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wax — in the ear

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