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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. charge — a price
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mate — to breed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wax — in the ear

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