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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: stick · roll · lie · bore · pop · wax · coach · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pop — soda
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — the sport
  17. roll — a list
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — music
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pop — to visit

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