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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 124 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pop — music
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ground — a position
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. current — of water
  13. chip — to eat
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ground — the earth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. current — happening now
  21. pop — soda
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. current — electric
  24. kick — in football

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