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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bound — certain
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. press — to push
  24. chip — for betting

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