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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · wax · pop · rash · fork · scale · band · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rash — a series
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. scale — size or range
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pop — soda
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chair — a leader
  15. band — a ring
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fork — in a road
  20. scale — in music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. pop — music
  24. kick — in football

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