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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: rest · branch · rush · drill · board · chip · wax · court

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. court — of law
  6. wax — to grow
  7. drill — army training
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. board — to get on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. drill — a practice
  14. court — of a king
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rest — a break
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. board — a committee
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. branch — a division
  24. wax — for sculpting

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