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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 · suit · wax · fan · current · foot · saw · bark

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — the tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. current — happening now
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — of water
  22. suit — in cards
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. current — electric

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