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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: wax · bass · last · rush · spell · squash · chip · stick

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. last — to go on
  3. spell — magic
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bass — low music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. last — finally
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — letters
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chip — for betting
  22. last — final
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rush — hurry

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