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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: wave · wax · ground · hide · roll · chip · pit · race

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ground — crushed
  4. race — a contest
  5. ground — the earth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ground — a position
  20. race — humankind
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. roll — on a roll

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