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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.

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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mark — a trace
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pass — a permit
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — army training
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stem — of a plant

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