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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. chip — to eat
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — for betting
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wax — in the ear

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