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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 120 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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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. object — to protest
  3. chip — for betting
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fork — in a road
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — a thing
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wax — to grow
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rule — government
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. object — an aim
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rule — a law

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