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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wax — to grow
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. field — a subject
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. land — to come down
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. season — in sport
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pop — soda
  22. season — of the year
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — for sculpting

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