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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cap — a lid
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. mark — a trace
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — low music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pass — a permit

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