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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.

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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: season · dip · lie · pound · chip · fan · wax · lean

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. season — in sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lean — thin
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lean — to bend
  24. season — of the year

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