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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: wax · bore · roll · bay · face · charge · hand · chip

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chip — for betting
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. charge — in control
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wax — to grow
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bore — to drill
  16. roll — a cake
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. roll — a list
  19. hand — help
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. charge — a price
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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