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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. press — newspapers
  4. current — happening now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — of water
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. court — for sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. court — of law
  15. rock — a stone
  16. current — electric
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. snap — to click
  19. court — of a king
  20. press — a publisher
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rock — music

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