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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: wax · march · spell · rush · straw · pitch · rash · suit

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. suit — clothes
  5. march — music
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rash — a series
  12. spell — letters
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — the month
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rush — hurry
  23. march — the month
  24. pitch — completely

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