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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rule — government
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rest — a break
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. game — a match
  23. rule — a law
  24. wax — in the ear

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