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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — child
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. press — to push
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. object — a thing
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. press — newspapers
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitcher — a jug

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