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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: sharp · rash · pitcher · face · bulb · craft · squash · wax

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. craft — boats
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. face — to confront
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — to point toward
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. sharp — exactly

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