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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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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: bound · cue · saw · rock · wax · face · squash · cold

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cold — an illness
  10. saw — the tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rock — music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bound — certain
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bound — obliged
  24. saw — the tool

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