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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — to push
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. clip — for paper
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. press — a publisher
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. clip — a video
  24. fan — to cool the air

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