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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — to come down
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chip — for betting
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chip — to eat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — a country
  17. bank — of a river
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — a permit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. land — ground
  24. chip — in a computer

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