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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wax — to grow
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — an injury
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tear — to rip
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wax — in the ear

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