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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: track · fine · lie · cold · wax · chip · suit · mine

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fine — all right
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mine — an explosive

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