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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: wax · game · stick · straw · chip · kid · foot · dip

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. kid — to tease
  6. game — a match
  7. chip — for betting
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kid — child
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chip — to eat
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. foot — a measure

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