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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spell — magic
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. temple — a place of worship

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