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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. squash — to crush
  4. net — in sport
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fork — in a road
  11. toast — bread
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. net — after costs
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. net — for catching

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