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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. spell — magic
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rock — a stone
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. net — for catching
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. rock — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — a gift
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spell — a short time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — there
  18. press — to push
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. spell — letters
  24. present — the time now

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