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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: cap · chip · snap · rush · mark · foot · wax · pitcher

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cap — a lid
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chip — for betting
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mark — a grade

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