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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wake — a trail
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. firm — decided
  24. vault — a safe

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