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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wax — to grow
  7. march — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. march — the month
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. squash — to crush
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — the sport
  18. craft — boats
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. branch — a division

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