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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.

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: rush · wind · staff · racket · wax · jam · spell · present

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. staff — employees
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. staff — employees
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wind — moving air
  11. present — a gift
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — the time now
  18. spell — letters
  19. wax — to grow
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. present — there
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wax — for sculpting

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