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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chip — for betting
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. club — a group
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chip — to eat
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wax — to grow
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. club — for golf

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