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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wax — to grow
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stand — to bear
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — a partner
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — in the ear

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