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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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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 · current · ball · nail · cap · charge · wax · tear

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. current — of water
  4. tear — to rip
  5. ball — a great time
  6. chip — for betting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cap — a hat
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — happening now
  20. charge — a price
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ball — a dance
  23. current — electric
  24. wax — in the ear

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