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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. track — a path
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pass — to spend 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