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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · race · wax · chip · rock · mine · face · cabinet

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. face — to confront
  10. race — humankind
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. race — a contest
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chip — for betting
  24. race — the arms race

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