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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: dip · chip · wake · trunk · club · wax · object · cell

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. object — a thing
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chip — for betting
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. club — for golf
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — to protest
  15. cell — a phone
  16. object — an aim
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cell — in biology
  23. chip — to eat
  24. dip — to sink

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