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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. root — of a plant
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. root — of a word
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — a video
  17. swing — to play on
  18. root — the cause
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — to sink
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wax — in the ear

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