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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: date · toast · lash · rash · drill · chip · game · wax

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. game — wild animals
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — bread
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rash — a series
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rash — hasty
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. drill — army training
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. drill — a practice
  22. game — a match
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. date — the fruit

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