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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: squash · rash · face · cue · wax · temple · bear · clip

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rash — hasty
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wax — to grow
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bear — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. clip — to cut
  20. face — to confront
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. face — to point toward
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bear — to put up with

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