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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
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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: chip · game · wax · shower · mine · mug · rest · key

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mug — a face
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wax — to grow
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. key — in music
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. game — wild animals
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rest — what's left
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. game — a match
  24. shower — rain

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