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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rule — a law
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rash — a series
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rule — government
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. swing — music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chip — to eat
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rash — on the skin

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