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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. last — to go on
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. squash — to crush
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — to trim
  15. can — a tin
  16. last — finally
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — a hat
  24. last — final

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