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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mug — a face
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. content — the amount
  10. chip — to eat
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. press — newspapers
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. season — in sport
  17. press — a publisher
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — happy
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chip — for betting
  23. press — to push
  24. chip — in a computer

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