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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · racket · saw · rush · tube · wax · bowl

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — hurry
  3. tube — a container
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — the underground
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — employees
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. spell — letters
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. saw — the tool
  24. racket — a loud noise

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