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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 116 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: pop · chair · season · chip · craft · current · straw · wax

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. season — in sport
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. season — of the year
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. current — of water
  14. chip — for betting
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — happening now
  17. craft — boats
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pop — music
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chip — to eat
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. craft — a skill
  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