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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. game — wild animals
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. press — to push
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wax — to grow
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. game — a match
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. sharp — clever
  24. game — a kind of play

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