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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bore — to drill
  4. craft — boats
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rest — a break
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. craft — a skill
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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