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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
468
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: scale · mate · craft · chip · foot · drill · wax · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mate — to breed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. craft — boats
  13. scale — size or range
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. scale — in music
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mate — a partner
  21. foot — a measure
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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