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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mate — to breed
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. suit — clothes
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wax — to grow
  18. suit — to fit

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