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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 · chip · foot · rash · swing · rule · hide · root

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wax — to grow
  5. chip — for betting
  6. swing — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rash — hasty
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. root — of a word
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rule — government
  21. rash — a series
  22. root — the cause
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. root — of a plant

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