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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — a tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — a publisher
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spell — letters
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rest — a break
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. press — newspapers
  22. spell — magic
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. press — to push

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