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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. press — to push
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hand — in cards
  11. scale — size or range
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rock — a stone
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. snap — to click
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hand — help
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hand — part of the body

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