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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: bowl · field · wax · jam · rush · spell · toast · straw

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. spell — magic
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rush — hurry
  5. toast — bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. field — farmland
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. spell — letters
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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