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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. face — to confront
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. press — a publisher
  10. face — part of the head
  11. vault — a safe
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mate — a friend
  14. root — the cause
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. root — of a word
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to click
  19. root — of a plant
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. press — newspapers
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lie — to recline

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