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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: chip · rock · rush · vault · degree · wax · rash · race

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. race — humankind
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. race — a contest
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wax — to grow
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. degree — temperature
  24. vault — a safe

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