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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bound — obliged
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — a permit
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bound — certain
  23. board — a flat piece
  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