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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: nail · toast · cue · chip · wax · prune · mine · chest

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. toast — bread
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chest — a box
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chip — to eat
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cue — for pool

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