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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.

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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: suit · rush · wax · pit · key · spell · press · bark

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. bark — to shout
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. press — a publisher
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. press — to push
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pit — in a race
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — newspapers

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