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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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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: bank · rest · squash · wax · deal · racket · arm · perch

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — the fish
  8. squash — the sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bank — for money
  16. rest — a break
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. deal — to handle
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. squash — to crush
  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