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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rule — government
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. game — a match
  8. season — of the year
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. board — to get on
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spring — of water
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rule — a law
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spring — the season
  21. board — a committee
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. season — in sport

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