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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 120 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: game · bear · wax · bound · cue · bore · squash · row

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cue — a hint
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bound — tied together
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — a signal
  9. row — a line
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bore — to drill
  12. game — a match
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cue — for pool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bound — certain
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bore — to tire

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