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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: mine · rash · wax · chip · foot · march · spell · wave

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. march — music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chip — to eat
  7. march — the month
  8. rash — a series
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. foot — a measure
  13. spell — letters
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. spell — magic
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mine — belonging to me

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