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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. march — the month
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stock — goods
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stock — shares
  14. charge — electricity
  15. shower — rain
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. shower — to wash
  18. charge — a price
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. charge — in control
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. march — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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