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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 116 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: chip · chair · mug · wax · last · rash · squash · swing

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. squash — the sport
  8. swing — music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. last — finally
  11. chip — to eat
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mug — a face
  15. rash — hasty
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chair — a leader
  18. last — final
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mug — to rob

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