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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: object · chip · wax · ground · fan · mark · band · last

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. last — to go on
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chip — to eat
  6. last — finally
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ground — a position
  9. band — a music group
  10. wax — to grow
  11. band — a ring
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a trace
  16. object — an aim
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. object — to protest
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. object — a thing
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. last — final

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