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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kick — in football
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bay — a horse colour

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