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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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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: chip · cue · hide · branch · wax · tube · pound · chair

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tube — the underground
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pound — a weight
  7. branch — a division
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. tube — a container
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — a hint

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