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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. current — happening now
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rest — what's left
  5. press — to push
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cap — a hat
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hand — help
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rest — a break
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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