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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: deal · wax · squash · cue · chip · rock · lash · row

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rock — music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chip — to eat
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cue — a signal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. row — a line
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cue — a hint

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