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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. game — wild animals
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — newspapers
  9. object — to protest
  10. game — a match
  11. ground — the earth
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. object — a thing
  16. ground — crushed
  17. craft — boats
  18. ground — a position
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — an aim

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