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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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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: band · roll · rest · hide · suit · swing · chip · wax

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — to eat
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. suit — in cards
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. roll — a list
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a music group
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. band — a ring

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