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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: wake · squash · chest · kick · wax · net · track · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. chest — a box
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — a trail
  8. track — a path
  9. net — in sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. kick — in football
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rest — a break
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. track — a song
  18. net — after costs
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. net — for catching

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