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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.

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: pass · saw · leaves · key · squash · drill · row · wax

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. squash — to crush
  4. drill — a practice
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. drill — the tool
  8. row — a line
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. row — to paddle
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. key — in music
  13. squash — the sport
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. drill — army training
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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