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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — a position
  8. press — to push
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. press — newspapers
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — a break
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. wax — to grow

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