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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 120 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 · wax · rest · tear · can · mine · nail · fine

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — to eat
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wax — to grow
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fine — all right
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mine — for digging
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rest — a break
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tear — from crying
  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