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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chip — to eat
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — a weight

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