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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 · last · sharp · straw · stand · stick · fork · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fork — in a road
  3. sharp — clever
  4. last — final
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — finally
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. last — to go on
  12. wax — to grow
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. squash — the sport
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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