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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 · file · jam · pop · trunk · wax · foot · leaves

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. file — a document
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. file — a tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pop — music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wax — to grow
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pop — to visit
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. trunk — of a tree

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