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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.

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: wax · squash · pitcher · bank · stand · wind · cabinet · net

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. net — after costs
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stand — for spectators

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