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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. object — to protest
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chip — to eat
  10. scale — in music
  11. charge — in control
  12. chair — a leader
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. wax — to grow
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lie — to recline

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