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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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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: rash · ground · object · wax · stem · cue · band · squash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ground — crushed
  5. object — a thing
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stem — to come from
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. object — an aim
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. ground — a position
  15. object — to protest
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rash — a series
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. band — a music group
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. wax — in the ear
  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