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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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468
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: cabinet · spring · kick · track · chip · wax · bore · cell

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wax — to grow
  5. kick — in football
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — a path
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spring — the season
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. spring — of water
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. chip — to eat
  21. track — a song
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cell — in biology

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