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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. hand — help
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. hand — in cards
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. content — the amount
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — happy
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wax — in the ear

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