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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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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: foot · tear · rash · bass · wax · nail · pop · chip

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rash — a series
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pop — music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bass — the fish
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bass — low music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pop — soda
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pop — to visit
  24. foot — part of the body

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