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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bore · squash · rest · wax · fall · rush · club · mouse

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bore — to tire
  4. club — a group
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fall — the season
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rest — a break
  22. wax — to grow
  23. club — for golf
  24. mouse — the animal

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