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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: wax · file · lean · rash · pass · game · content · chip

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wax — to grow
  3. game — a match
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. content — happy
  9. file — a line of people
  10. chip — to eat
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. file — a document
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. content — the amount
  20. lean — thin
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rash — a series
  24. file — a tool

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