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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bank — of a river
  8. current — electric
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. root — of a word
  12. current — of water
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bank — for money
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. root — the cause
  19. current — happening now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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