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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: rash · firm · content · wax · snap · deal · board · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. board — a committee
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — to get on
  14. firm — a company
  15. content — happy
  16. wax — to grow
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rash — a series
  22. snap — to click
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. firm — decided

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