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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bank — for money
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bank — for money
  9. press — newspapers
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. plane — a tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. face — to confront
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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