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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fall — the season
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — help
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mine — for digging
  24. branch — of a bank

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