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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fine — all right
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. craft — boats
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rest — a break
  9. fine — high quality
  10. craft — a skill
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fine — a penalty

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