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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wax — to grow
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. drill — a practice
  7. craft — a skill
  8. drill — the tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — boats
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ball — a great time
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a dance
  18. press — newspapers
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chest — a box
  24. suit — in cards

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