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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. scale — size or range
  18. content — the amount
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. squash — to crush
  21. press — to push
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. press — newspapers

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