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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bore — to tire
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — in the ear

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