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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 116 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: kick · leaves · object · wax · pitcher · squash · bass · wound

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. object — to protest
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — low music
  24. wound — an injury

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