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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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Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. track — to keep track
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. dip — to sink
  11. squash — the sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. rush — hurry
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. track — a path
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. track — a song
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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