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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: pass · pop · mine · wax · prune · squash · mark · drill

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. drill — army training
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. drill — the tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pop — music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. squash — the sport
  24. prune — the fruit

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