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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: spell · rush · race · wax · chest · trunk · fine · staff

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fine — high quality
  5. race — the arms race
  6. spell — letters
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. race — a contest
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. spell — magic
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fine — all right
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. staff — a stick

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