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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. press — to push
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rule — government
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cap — a hat
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rock — music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — to grow
  24. prune — to trim

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