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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stand · wax · cue · saw · march · chest · mine

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. march — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. chest — of your body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. march — the month
  19. chest — a box
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mine — for digging
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cue — a hint

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