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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 · wax · tube · pop · sharp · club · stick · firm

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. club — for golf
  12. tube — a container
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — a group
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. sharp — exactly

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