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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 120 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 · wax · ruler · pitcher · can · coach · hand · chip

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — help
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rash — a series
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rash — hasty
  24. can — to be able to

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