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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: wax · rush · chair · pitcher · deal · key · jam · mate

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. key — in music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rush — hurry
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wax — in the ear

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