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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: wax · squash · firm · stem · press · kick · sharp · cap

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. squash — the sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cap — of ice
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — newspapers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. kick — in football
  11. press — a publisher
  12. firm — decided
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cap — a hat
  18. press — to push
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. squash — to crush
  23. firm — a company
  24. kick — with a leg

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