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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spring — a coil
  5. clip — a video
  6. spring — of water
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rock — music
  10. current — electric
  11. clip — for paper
  12. current — of water
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wax — to grow
  23. current — happening now
  24. plane — an aircraft

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