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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rock — a stone
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. tube — the underground
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rock — music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. craft — boats
  19. press — to push
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tube — a container
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rock — to move gently

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