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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. key — in music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. key — for a lock
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — to push
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wax — to grow

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