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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. craft — a skill
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. craft — boats
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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