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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: mine · squash · wax · stick · current · pitcher · bark · face

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. current — electric
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mine — for digging
  9. current — of water
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. face — to confront
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — happening now
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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