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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. chip — for betting
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. clip — for paper
  12. charge — a price
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. charge — in control
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. clip — to cut
  23. chip — to eat
  24. clip — a video

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