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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 116 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 · deal · hide · scale · march · hand · wax · squash

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. squash — to crush
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wax — to grow
  9. march — music
  10. hand — help
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. scale — in music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hand — in cards

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