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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — newspapers
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wax — to grow
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. press — to push
  15. content — happy
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rock — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. wind — moving air
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rock — a stone
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. press — a publisher
  24. face — to confront

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