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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cue — for pool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. content — the amount
  7. cue — a signal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wax — to grow
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. press — to push
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. content — happy

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