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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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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. drill — the tool
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. net — in sport
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — a permit
  13. drill — army training
  14. toast — bread
  15. squash — the sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. drill — a practice
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. net — for catching
  23. field — a subject
  24. pass — to succeed

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