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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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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tube — a container
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chip — to eat
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cell — a phone
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wax — to grow
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wax — for sculpting

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