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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
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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: wax · snap · squash · deal · mug · swing · cold · fan

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mug — a face
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wax — to grow
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. swing — music
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cold — an illness
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mug — a cup
  24. snap — to click

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