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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. capital — a city
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. capital — money
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. row — to paddle
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. squash — to crush
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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