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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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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: plane · mark · squash · march · lie · wax · pop · pound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. march — the month
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pop — music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — the month
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. march — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — soda
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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