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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. dip — to sink
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. branch — a division
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ground — a position
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. press — to push
  24. spell — letters

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