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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. suit — clothes
  15. press — newspapers
  16. suit — to fit
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. deal — an agreement

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