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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. kick — in football
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rule — a law
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rash — a series
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rule — government
  20. stock — shares
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rash — on the skin

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