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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. object — to protest
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. object — a thing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wax — to grow

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