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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: tube · bat · can · bank · wax · squash · patient · wound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wound — an injury
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — a container
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wax — for sculpting

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