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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rock — music
  6. last — finally
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. last — final
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — ground
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — a country
  17. last — to go on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. land — to come down
  22. chip — to eat
  23. net — for catching
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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