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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rash — a series
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. game — a match
  7. tube — a container
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — to eat
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rash — hasty
  21. game — wild animals
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tube — the underground

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