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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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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: leaves · ruler · wax · chip · roll · present · charge · clip

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. roll — a list
  3. clip — to cut
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. charge — a price
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. roll — a cake
  12. present — there
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. charge — in control
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  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