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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rule — a law
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ground — crushed
  11. face — to confront
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chip — for betting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ground — the earth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — a position
  24. rule — government

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