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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: mouse · squash · pitch · wax · rest · bound · ruler · hide

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bound — certain
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wax — to grow

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