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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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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: tear · wax · chip · rule · foot · fine · clip · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chip — for betting
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. clip — for paper
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rule — a law
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. foot — a measure
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tear — from crying
  23. clip — a video
  24. rule — government

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