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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wax — to grow
  3. press — to push
  4. cue — a signal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. press — a publisher
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. press — newspapers
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. cue — for pool
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. kid — to tease
  17. board — a committee
  18. spring — of water
  19. kid — child
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spring — the season
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. can — a tin

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