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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — for betting
  7. club — a group
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — the season
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fall — to drop
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rule — government
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — for golf
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. saw — the tool

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