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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 120 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 · snap · fall · bore · chip · current · wax · scale

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wax — to grow
  5. snap — to click
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. current — of water
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. game — a match
  16. fall — to drop
  17. current — electric
  18. scale — size or range
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fall — the season
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bore — to drill

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