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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: chip · mark · current · tear · trunk · wax · content · ground

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. ground — a position
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chip — to eat
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. content — the amount
  21. tear — from crying
  22. content — happy
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. current — electric

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