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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 meat?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bank — of a river
  5. season — in sport
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bank — for money
  14. row — to paddle
  15. season — of the year
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. press — newspapers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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