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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. key — in music
  4. rule — government
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cell — a phone
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rule — a law
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. dip — to sink
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. press — to push

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