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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: craft · wind · rush · capital · track · chair · wax · jam

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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 — a song
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wind — moving air
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. craft — a skill
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chair — a leader
  20. capital — money
  21. track — a path
  22. wind — moving air
  23. capital — a city
  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