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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: wax · object · scale · rush · content · chip · branch · mine

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. content — happy
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. content — the amount
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chip — for betting
  19. branch — a division
  20. mine — for digging
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. object — a thing
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rush — a thrill

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