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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chip — to eat
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — decided
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bore — to drill
  10. race — a contest
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wax — to grow
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. race — humankind

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