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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. staff — employees
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. season — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rush — hurry
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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