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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. press — a publisher
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wake — a trail
  5. craft — boats
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mate — to breed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — to push
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wax — to grow
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rock — music
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mate — a friend
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mate — a partner
  24. craft — a handicraft

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