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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cabinet — ministers

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