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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: jam · roll · rash · content · bowl · game · lash · wax

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. game — a match
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rash — hasty
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. game — wild animals
  18. content — the amount
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. roll — a list
  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