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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bear — the animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rule — a law
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. staff — employees
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. scale — in music

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