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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: chip · can · date · key · perch · wake · shower · wax

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. key — for a lock
  6. shower — rain
  7. chip — for betting
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wax — to grow
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — in music
  21. shower — to wash
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. date — the fruit

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