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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. net — for catching
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rest — a break
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wax — to grow
  9. object — to protest
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. object — a thing
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chair — a leader
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — after costs
  17. object — an aim
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. key — in music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. key — the most important part
  24. net — in sport

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