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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 · swing · cap · squash · pop · object · date · can

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. object — a thing
  3. cap — of ice
  4. object — to protest
  5. can — a tin
  6. date — the fruit
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pop — music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. object — an aim
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pop — soda
  16. cap — a hat
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. swing — in golf
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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