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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: dip · wax · squash · chair · rest · net · firm · pop

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. net — in sport
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. net — after costs
  5. pop — soda
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pop — music
  10. net — for catching
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rest — a break
  14. squash — the sport
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — decided
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. squash — to crush

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