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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — the time now
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. present — there
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — obliged
  23. press — newspapers
  24. calf — of the leg

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