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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · wax · cue · squash · nail · track · season · prune

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pass — a permit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. track — a path
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — of the year
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cue — for pool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. track — a song
  16. season — in sport
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — to grow
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pass — to succeed
  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