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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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468
Word bank
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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. press — a publisher
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. toast — bread
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. press — newspapers
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wax — to grow
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. press — to push
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kid — to tease
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. racket — for tennis

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