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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 124 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. firm — a company
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. shower — rain
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chip — to eat

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