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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ground — a position
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ground — crushed
  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