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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.

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: march · ruler · cabinet · wax · squash · net · root · craft

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — the cause
  4. march — the month
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. squash — to crush
  7. march — music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — for catching
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — boats
  18. root — of a word
  19. net — after costs
  20. march — the month
  21. craft — a skill
  22. net — in sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. craft — a handicraft

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