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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. march — the month
  5. roll — a cake
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. march — music
  10. roll — a list
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — what's left
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. press — to push
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — a break
  24. branch — a division

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