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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. branch — a division
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chip — for betting
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — to confront
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. face — to point toward
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. date — the fruit
  21. net — in sport
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. leaves — of a tree

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