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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: kid · wax · squash · mug · mark · key · present · lash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. squash — to crush
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mug — a cup
  7. key — the most important part
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. key — in music
  17. mug — a face
  18. present — a gift
  19. kid — child
  20. wax — to grow
  21. kid — to tease
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. mark — a trace

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