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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. charge — electricity
  7. press — to push
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. press — a publisher
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lean — to bend
  13. charge — a price
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. content — happy
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. content — the amount
  21. wax — to grow
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. press — newspapers

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