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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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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: roll · bulb · toast · mate · cold · squash · wax · pass

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mate — to breed
  6. toast — bread
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cold — not warm
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mate — a friend
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mate — a partner
  21. roll — a list
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bulb — for light
  24. roll — a cake

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