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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. press — a publisher
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — child
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. press — newspapers
  8. kid — to tease
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. press — to push
  11. mug — a face
  12. content — happy
  13. mug — to rob
  14. net — for catching
  15. mug — a cup
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. net — after costs
  21. staff — employees
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. net — in sport
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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