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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. cell — a phone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. root — the cause
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bound — obliged
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rest — a break
  20. root — of a word
  21. lean — thin
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bound — certain
  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