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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. clip — to cut
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — for betting
  10. object — a thing
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. object — to protest
  16. ball — a dance
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. object — an aim
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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