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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. file — a document
  4. chip — to eat
  5. object — an aim
  6. file — a line of people
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. file — a tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pit — a hole
  20. object — to protest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. scale — in music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — a thing

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