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

Word bank: deal · game · season · rule · wax · pound · toast · lash

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. deal — to handle
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. toast — bread
  10. season — of the year
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. game — a match
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rule — government
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — to grow
  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