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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 · mug · pound · stick · wax · can · cell · race

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wax — to grow
  7. race — humankind
  8. deal — to handle
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cell — a phone
  13. race — a contest
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pound — a weight
  20. can — a tin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mug — a face
  23. deal — an agreement
  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