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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — to come down
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chip — for betting

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