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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: date · dip · nail · wax · kid · charge · chip · craft

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kid — to tease
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. craft — boats
  11. dip — to sink
  12. chip — to eat
  13. charge — electricity
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. kid — child
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. craft — a skill
  21. charge — in control
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — for betting

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