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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 120 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: snap · suit · rash · wind · wake · wax · bowl · pop

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pop — soda
  6. suit — in cards
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wind — moving air
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pop — music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. snap — to click
  24. bowl — a football 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