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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · current · mate · squash · coach · spell · rush · wax

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mate — a friend
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. spell — letters
  9. current — electric
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — happening now
  13. last — final
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mate — to breed
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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