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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spring — the season
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spring — of water
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. chest — a box
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — to tease
  17. charge — in control
  18. stand — to bear
  19. charge — electricity
  20. press — to push
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ruler — a monarch

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