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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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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: pit · dip · mate · rush · wax · prune · rash · band

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wax — to grow
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — a friend
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rash — a series
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. band — a music group
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — a hole
  18. dip — to sink
  19. band — a ring
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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