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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · fan · wax · ground · mate · chip · face · tube

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. club — for golf
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. face — part of the head
  13. club — a group
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ground — crushed
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. club — for dancing
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fan — a supporter

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