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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.

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: wax · racket · squash · land · mouse · fan · tube · craft

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — a container
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. land — to come down
  13. craft — boats
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. tube — the underground
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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