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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — to push
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. press — a publisher
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — newspapers
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lean — thin
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. suit — to fit

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