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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wax — to grow
  3. land — to come down
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — ground
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. track — a song
  14. bass — low music
  15. land — a country
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rest — a break
  22. face — to point toward
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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