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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — of water
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — electric
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cold — an illness
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cold — not warm

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