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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 116 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: fan · branch · wax · mate · snap · cap · chip · root

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mate — a partner
  7. snap — to click
  8. root — the cause
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. root — of a word
  20. branch — a division
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chip — to eat
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wax — to grow

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