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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. spring — of water
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spring — the season
  14. wake — a trail
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — a coil
  20. squash — the sport
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pound — a weight
  24. saw — the tool

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