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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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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: squash · present · object · foot · wax · fan · wound · dip

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — a thing
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — the time now
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — an aim
  15. wound — an injury
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. object — to protest
  18. present — there
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. present — a gift
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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