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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — completely
  8. last — finally
  9. rest — a break
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. press — a publisher
  16. last — to go on
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — to push
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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