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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rule — government
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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