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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mug — to rob
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fine — high quality
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. season — in 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