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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's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. roll — a cake
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — steady
  5. press — to push
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. firm — decided
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — money
  11. craft — boats
  12. capital — a city
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. roll — a list
  16. firm — a company
  17. press — newspapers
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — a skill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. capital — a big letter

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