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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: face · wake · sharp · mouse · firm · squash · wax · cap

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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 — the sport
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — a company
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wake — a trail
  14. firm — decided
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. squash — to crush
  23. firm — steady
  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