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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pass — a permit
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spring — a coil

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