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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wax — to grow
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. branch — a division
  12. roll — a list
  13. wake — a trail
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — the fruit

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