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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — a tin
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. scale — in music
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — a law
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — government
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. scale — for weighing

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