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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: rush · pass · wax · season · squash · stock · ball · lean

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stock — goods
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stock — shares
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. squash — to crush
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. season — in sport
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rush — hurry
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lean — thin
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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