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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: lash · pitch · mug · wax · jam · present · rash · spell

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spell — magic
  6. mug — a face
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — there
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wax — to grow
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — to rob
  19. present — the time now
  20. pitch — completely
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — a series
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. jam — in traffic

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