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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to bend
  6. scale — size or range
  7. game — a match
  8. rash — a series
  9. chip — to eat
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wax — to grow
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lean — thin

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