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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: lash · fork · squash · firm · craft · rock · game · wax

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. craft — boats
  3. rock — music
  4. firm — steady
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wax — to grow
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — wild animals
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. squash — the sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. rock — a stone
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. craft — a skill
  20. firm — a company
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wax — for sculpting

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