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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.

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: row · stand · bound · wax · stick · pass · jam · rash

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bound — certain
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rash — a series
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bound — tied together
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. row — a line

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