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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.

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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. march — music
  4. rest — a break
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cold — not warm
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. press — to push
  12. march — the month
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ball — a dance
  24. key — for a lock

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