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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: wax · chip · dip · band · saw · mug · mine · plane

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. band — a ring
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mug — to rob
  15. band — a music group
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mug — a cup
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — the tool

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