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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: cabinet · branch · ground · current · plane · chip · clip · wax

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. current — of water
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ground — a position
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. branch — a division
  17. clip — a video
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. current — electric
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chip — to eat
  24. current — happening now

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