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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.

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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 · row · suit · scale · bat · leaves · wave

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. scale — in music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. squash — the sport
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — clothes
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. squash — to crush
  24. suit — in cards

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