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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. clip — to cut
  8. content — the amount
  9. clip — a video
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chip — to eat
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. content — happy
  19. craft — a skill
  20. clip — for paper
  21. snap — to click
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. coach — a trainer

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