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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. board — to get on
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rash — a series
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mug — a face
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. board — a committee
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chip — for betting

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