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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 · bulb · pitch · content · saw · rash · wax · mine

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — hasty
  8. content — the amount
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitch — completely
  19. content — happy
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rush — a thrill

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