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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. roll — a list
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — to eat
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. race — humankind
  19. mine — for digging
  20. race — the arms race
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. race — a contest
  23. cell — a phone
  24. roll — a cake

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