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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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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 · shower · sharp · wax · firm · court · jam · roll

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. shower — to wash
  4. firm — a company
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. roll — a list
  9. court — of law
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rush — hurry
  14. roll — a cake
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. shower — rain
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. firm — steady
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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