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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. band — a music group
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wax — to grow
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rule — a law
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hand — help
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rule — government
  21. kid — child
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chip — for betting
  24. band — a ring

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