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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pit — a hole
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — for betting
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hand — help
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pit — in a race
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wind — to turn a key

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