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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. charge — a price
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. charge — in control
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mark — a trace
  24. squash — to crush

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