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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 116 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mark — a grade
  3. shower — rain
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. club — a group
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. club — for golf
  24. patient — a sick person

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