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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bank — for money
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. suit — to fit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chip — to eat
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — a video
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bat — the animal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mate — to breed
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mate — a friend
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. chip — for betting

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