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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wax — to grow
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. staff — employees
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. chip — for betting
  14. staff — employees
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chip — to eat
  20. swing — music
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. swing — in golf
  24. staff — a stick

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