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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. key — in music
  4. wax — to grow
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. press — to push
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — for money
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. key — the most important part
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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