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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. file — a line of people
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lean — to bend
  6. file — a document
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. file — a tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. staff — employees
  16. lean — thin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rock — music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. squash — the sport

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