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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 · arm · rest · chip · spell · can · sharp · branch

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rest — a break
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wax — to grow
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spell — magic
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spell — a short time
  18. can — to be able to
  19. branch — a division
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — letters
  22. rest — what's left
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — of a bank

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