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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. press — to push
  6. mine — for digging
  7. scale — size or range
  8. object — a thing
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — an aim
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wax — to grow
  17. scale — in music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. object — to protest
  20. board — to get on
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. press — a publisher
  23. board — a committee
  24. scale — for weighing

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