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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wax — to grow
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fine — all right
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — to sink
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. object — an aim
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ball — a dance
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chip — for betting
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. object — a thing
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — to eat

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