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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. row — a line
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mug — a face
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cold — an illness
  15. wax — to grow
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mark — a grade

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