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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: bowl · band · rush · chip · date · wind · roll · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chip — for betting
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. date — the fruit
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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