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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 116 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 · drill · rush · wax · calf · pitcher · pass · stock

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pass — a permit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stock — goods
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. drill — army training
  23. wax — to grow
  24. drill — a practice

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