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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: rush · saw · firm · wind · snap · pit · rash · wax

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rash — a series
  7. pit — a hole
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. snap — to click
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. firm — a company
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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