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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. bass — low music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. present — a gift
  7. press — a publisher
  8. present — the time now
  9. wax — to grow
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. press — to push
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — there
  21. pass — a permit
  22. charge — in control
  23. hide — animal skin
  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