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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 120 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: craft · wound · wave · squash · rush · key · wax · hand

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. key — in music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. squash — the sport
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. squash — the vegetable

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