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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pass — a permit
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. ground — crushed
  12. file — a document
  13. bound — certain
  14. press — newspapers
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. press — to push
  22. ground — a position
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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