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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 · bay · mark · jam · stand · mouse · wax · press

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — to push
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stand — on your feet

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