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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — soda
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wax — for sculpting

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