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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: rash · rock · tube · wake · fine · chip · wax · nail

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — to eat
  6. tube — a container
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. tube — the underground
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fine — high quality

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