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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. key — in music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. key — the most important part
  20. net — for catching
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. key — for a lock
  23. net — after costs
  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