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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · fork · leaves · game · board · squash · wax · lean

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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. wax — in the ear
  4. board — a committee
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — to crush
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. board — to get on
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. game — a match
  23. squash — the sport
  24. game — wild animals

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