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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. shower — rain
  3. ground — crushed
  4. clip — to cut
  5. deal — to handle
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — to eat
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ground — the earth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. track — a path
  14. cap — a lid
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. clip — a video
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ground — a position
  21. track — a song
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chip — for betting

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