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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bass — low music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. can — to be able to
  21. press — to push
  22. bass — the fish
  23. can — a tin
  24. cap — a lid

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