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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
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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: hand · suit · deal · net · lash · wax · land · chip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. net — for catching
  8. land — to come down
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. net — after costs
  15. chip — to eat
  16. land — ground
  17. suit — in cards
  18. land — a country
  19. hand — in cards
  20. net — in sport
  21. suit — clothes
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. suit — to fit

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