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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: degree · wound · mug · wax · fine · season · stick · squash

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mug — a face
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — to grow
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — to crush
  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