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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. press — newspapers
  3. swing — music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — to push
  7. fall — the season
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. plane — a tool
  17. swing — in golf
  18. press — a publisher

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