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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 · sharp · pass · rush · present · degree · cap

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cap — a hat
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. present — the time now
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cap — a lid
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pass — a permit
  14. squash — to crush
  15. present — there
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rush — hurry
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cap — of ice
  22. degree — temperature
  23. present — a gift
  24. pass — to spend time

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