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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
468
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: bass · pop · squash · wax · coach · roll · kick · rest

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. roll — a list
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. roll — a cake
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pop — to visit
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pop — soda
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rest — a break
  22. bass — low music
  23. pop — music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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