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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: rush · stand · mug · press · wake · wax · staff · swing

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. staff — employees
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. swing — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stand — to bear
  9. press — a publisher
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — a face
  12. wax — to grow
  13. press — to push
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mug — a cup
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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