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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 116 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: pitch · lash · scale · present · spring · squash · mug · wax

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. present — there
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spring — of water
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spring — the season
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mug — a cup
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. present — the time now
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. present — a gift
  24. scale — size or range

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