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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: chip · saw · arm · bound · cap · bear · wax · scale

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. chip — for betting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bound — obliged
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. scale — in music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bound — certain
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cap — of ice
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chip — in a computer

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