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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chip — to eat
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — letters
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. object — a thing
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wax — to grow
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. object — an aim
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. prune — to trim

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