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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 116 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: cue · swing · branch · wax · charge · chip · shower · rock

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. swing — in golf
  4. shower — rain
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cue — a hint
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chip — for betting
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. cue — for pool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cue — a signal
  23. swing — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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