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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: lie · game · tear · wax · chip · club · charge · present

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. present — a gift
  5. lie — to recline
  6. club — for golf
  7. tear — from crying
  8. game — a match
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — there
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. charge — a price
  16. club — a group
  17. charge — electricity
  18. club — for dancing
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — in control
  22. tear — to rip
  23. present — the time now
  24. chip — to eat

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