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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: pop · rash · bay · rush · racket · race · wax · perch

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — the fish
  8. race — humankind
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rash — hasty
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — a series
  16. race — a contest
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. wax — to grow
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. racket — for tennis

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