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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 120 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: wax · squash · fall · court · dip · rest · rock · craft

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. court — of law
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — boats
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rest — a break
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rest — what's left
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. dip — to sink
  20. court — of a king
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — music
  23. court — for sport
  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