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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.

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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: content · rash · squash · wax · bulb · capital · deal · mug

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wax — to grow
  4. capital — money
  5. squash — the sport
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. content — the amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rash — a series
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — to crush
  24. deal — to handle

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