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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rule — government
  17. snap — to click
  18. content — happy
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. press — a publisher
  21. content — the amount
  22. wax — to grow
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rule — a law

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