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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. band — a ring
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chip — for betting
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. spring — of water
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — happening now
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. current — of water
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. current — electric
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — the season
  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