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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — a video
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. present — there
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — for golf
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — to grow
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. present — the time now
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — a group
  17. clip — for paper
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — a gift
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. temple — a place of worship

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