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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. tube — a container
  8. hand — in cards
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. hand — help
  19. suit — clothes
  20. key — the most important part
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. hand — part of the body

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