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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. clip — a video
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. suit — to fit
  16. press — to push
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lash — to lash out

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