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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — a division
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mug — a face
  24. press — to push

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