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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. present — there
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — boats
  11. present — a gift
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. present — the time now
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pop — to visit
  21. press — to push
  22. pop — soda
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pop — music

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