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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. land — ground
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. chip — for betting
  11. shower — rain
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. land — a country
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chip — to eat

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