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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: squash · ground · spring · last · present · wave · wax · mug

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spring — a coil
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. spring — of water
  5. last — finally
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mug — a face
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. spring — the season
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. present — a gift
  15. ground — a position
  16. last — to go on
  17. squash — to crush
  18. present — the time now
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. present — there
  22. last — final
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wax — to grow

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