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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 116 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. track — to keep track
  12. press — newspapers
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — for betting
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — to push
  21. kid — child
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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