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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.

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: chip · wax · nail · bass · fork · dip · bat · cabinet

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bass — the fish
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — low music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. nail — for a hammer

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