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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: firm · rest · rock · wax · squash · bear · wave · cold

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. firm — decided
  6. rest — a break
  7. rock — a stone
  8. firm — a company
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rock — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. squash — the sport
  14. firm — steady
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cold — the Cold War

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