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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: vault · fan · rush · jam · track · straw · swing · wax

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. swing — to play on
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. vault — a safe
  18. swing — music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. track — a song
  22. wax — to grow
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rush — hurry

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