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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chip — to eat
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — magic
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. press — to push
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rock — a stone
  24. toast — bread

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