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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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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: snap · foot · squash · rest · wave · can · straw · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to click
  18. rest — what's left
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. foot — a measure
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. straw — dry grass

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