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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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. march — the month
  4. clip — a video
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. clip — to cut
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. key — for a lock
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — a publisher
  15. craft — boats
  16. press — to push
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. march — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. clip — for paper

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