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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. club — a group
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — size or range
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. club — for golf
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. squash — the sport
  18. scale — in music

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