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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: jam · present · pass · row · fan · wax · rush · coach

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. present — there
  11. row — a line
  12. pass — a permit
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. present — the time now
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. present — a gift
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — to 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