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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. dip — to sink
  6. root — of a word
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. last — finally
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. last — final
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hand — help
  18. wax — to grow
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rock — to move gently

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