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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — clever
  18. last — to go on
  19. lie — to recline
  20. last — finally
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — final
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — in football

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