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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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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: cap · squash · kid · rush · cell · wax · lash · rest

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rest — what's left
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cell — a phone
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kid — child
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rush — to hurry

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