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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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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: squash · pass · bear · wax · snap · jam · toast · row

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. squash — to crush
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. row — a line
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. row — to paddle
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. squash — the sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bear — the animal

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