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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wound — an injury

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