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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: race · bank · rash · hand · can · spell · wax · chest

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bank — for money
  3. chest — a box
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bank — for money
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hand — help
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spell — letters
  14. chest — of your body
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rash — a series

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