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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. press — newspapers
  3. object — an aim
  4. wax — to grow
  5. file — a line of people
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — to push
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. file — a tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. file — a document
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. object — a thing
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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