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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stock — shares
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stock — goods
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bore — gave birth

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