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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kid — to tease
  3. press — to push
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. suit — in cards
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. kid — child
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wax — to grow
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. field — farmland

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