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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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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pass — a permit

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