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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.

Make a worksheet

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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wax — to grow
  5. press — to push
  6. degree — an amount
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. press — a publisher
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a list
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wax — for sculpting

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