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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lean — thin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. band — a music group
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cap — a hat
  19. squash — the sport
  20. band — a ring
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lean — to rest against

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