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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. press — to push
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. charge — in control
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fine — all right
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. last — to go on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wake — a trail
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. press — a publisher
  22. clip — to cut
  23. charge — a price
  24. wake — before a funeral

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