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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rest — a break
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a music group
  10. march — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. press — to push
  13. ball — a great time
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. band — a ring

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