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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lean — thin
  4. press — a publisher
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — newspapers
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. press — to push
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — a path
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. drill — a practice
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. drill — army training
  24. lean — to rest against

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