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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. court — of law
  3. roll — a list
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. court — of a king
  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