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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
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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: rush · track · pop · bulb · wax · bat · fall · rash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. track — a song
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. fall — the season
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pop — to visit
  18. track — a path
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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