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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: lean · stock · fan · wax · nail · squash · rock · rush

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — goods
  20. lean — thin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stock — shares

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