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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: wax · can · bank · craft · wound · racket · chip · rush

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. craft — boats
  3. chip — to eat
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bank — of a river
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a skill
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wax — to grow
  23. can — a tin
  24. chip — in a computer

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