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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rash — hasty
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bore — to tire
  6. kid — child
  7. bore — to drill
  8. field — farmland
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — to push
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bank — of a river
  22. board — to get on
  23. rash — a series
  24. bank — for money

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