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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. press — newspapers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cold — not warm
  13. press — to push
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rule — a law
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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