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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bank — of a river
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. face — to confront
  8. stock — shares
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — goods

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