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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: bear · wax · squash · firm · spell · nail · perch · kick

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. firm — steady
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — a company
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. squash — to crush
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. firm — decided
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wax — to grow
  21. kick — in football
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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