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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. object — an aim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. object — to protest
  18. cold — an illness
  19. fall — the season
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cold — not warm
  24. wax — to grow

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