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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mug — a cup
  9. press — to push
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rash — a series
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mug — to rob
  17. drill — army training
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mug — a face
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bound — obliged
  24. foot — part of the body

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