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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. suit — in cards
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tube — the underground
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. press — to push
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ball — a great time
  11. net — after costs
  12. cell — a phone
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cell — in biology
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — for catching
  22. wax — to grow
  23. tube — a container
  24. net — in sport

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