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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: squash · cabinet · wax · hand · track · suit · degree · stand

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wax — to grow
  10. degree — an amount
  11. suit — to fit
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hand — in cards
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stand — to bear
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. squash — the sport
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — ministers

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