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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: wax · chip · ruler · capital · hide · file · spell · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. spell — letters
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. capital — money
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — to grow
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. file — a tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spell — magic
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wax — in the ear

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