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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 124 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. shower — to wash
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. shower — rain
  8. press — to push
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. press — a publisher
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. drill — army training
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lean — thin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wax — to grow
  24. patient — a sick person

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