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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: track · roll · jam · fall · stick · wax · swing · press

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. roll — a list
  7. track — a song
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. press — a publisher
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a path
  16. press — to push
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. swing — to play on
  21. roll — a cake
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fall — to drop

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