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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. land — ground
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. land — a country
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mate — a partner
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fall — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. land — to come down
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mouse — the animal

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