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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 120 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: lean · race · wound · craft · mug · wax · wave · squash

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. squash — the sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. race — humankind
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mug — a cup
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — a face
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. race — a contest
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. squash — to crush

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