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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. toast — bread
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mug — a face
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. object — to protest
  11. ball — a dance
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chip — to eat
  18. date — the fruit
  19. object — an aim
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ball — a great time

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