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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: cell · chip · wax · mouse · branch · mark · squash · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cell — in biology
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cell — a phone
  19. squash — the sport
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — a division

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