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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. press — to push
  7. fine — all right
  8. craft — boats
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cue — a signal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cue — a hint
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. press — newspapers
  22. craft — a skill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. leaves — to go away

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