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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mine — for digging
  5. press — to push
  6. staff — a stick
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. press — a publisher
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. craft — a skill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. face — part of the head

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