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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: present · lean · hand · date · chip · wave · wax · pitcher

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. hand — in cards
  10. date — the fruit
  11. lean — thin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chip — for betting
  15. present — a gift
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — to bend
  18. present — there
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — on the calendar

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