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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. board — a committee
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wax — to grow
  11. craft — boats
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. press — to push
  15. foot — a measure
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. board — to get on
  24. kick — in football

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