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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cell — in biology
  3. race — humankind
  4. fine — all right
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. season — of the year
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. season — in sport
  24. race — a contest

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