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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: clip · stem · bear · chip · wax · charge · bank · squash

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. clip — for paper
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chip — to eat
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. charge — a price
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bear — to put up with

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