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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: chip · key · fine · march · fall · rash · wax · race

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. race — humankind
  8. fall — the season
  9. rash — a series
  10. race — a contest
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chip — for betting
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fall — to drop
  17. march — music
  18. race — the arms race
  19. march — the month
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — all right
  24. key — in music

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