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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: wax · degree · rash · club · temple · chip · lash · toast

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. club — a group
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. degree — from a university
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rash — hasty
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. toast — bread
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — to eat
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — for golf
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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