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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rule — a law
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cap — a lid
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rule — government
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spell — magic
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spell — letters
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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