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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. degree — from a university

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