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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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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 · craft · bulb · face · chip · capital · wake · shower

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. capital — a city
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a skill
  10. face — to confront
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. capital — money
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. shower — rain
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. craft — boats
  24. wax — to grow

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