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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — of a word
  5. last — final
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lean — to bend
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. last — finally
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. last — to go on

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