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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: rash · temple · march · wax · arm · root · field · chip

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a plant
  4. field — for sport
  5. wax — to grow
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. field — farmland
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — a series
  24. field — a subject

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