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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 116 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: mug · wax · can · board · pass · squash · prune · mine

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mug — a cup
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mug — a face
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mine — for digging
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mug — to rob
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. board — to get on
  24. can — a tin

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