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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: pitcher · wave · pass · shower · wax · stick · rock · squash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rock — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. squash — the sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pass — to succeed

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