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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · rash · wax · fan · hand · mug · mate · bound

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hand — help
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rash — a series
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mug — a face
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bound — certain
  24. mate — a friend

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