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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 116 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: cap · lean · chip · bass · pound · mine · ruler · wax

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bass — low music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lean — thin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mine — an explosive

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