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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: game · nail · press · kid · fan · chip · calf · wax

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. press — to push
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. kid — child
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a match
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chip — for betting
  12. kid — to tease
  13. press — a publisher
  14. game — wild animals
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chip — to eat
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young animal

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