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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — a leader
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. trunk — of a tree

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