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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: squash · deal · shower · degree · content · drill · wake · wax

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wake — a trail
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. content — the amount
  8. wax — to grow
  9. drill — the tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. content — happy
  12. drill — army training
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. shower — rain
  15. degree — temperature
  16. drill — a practice
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. degree — from a university
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wax — in the ear

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