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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rash — hasty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. content — happy
  9. wax — to grow
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — the month
  12. rash — a series
  13. march — music
  14. pass — a permit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. march — the month
  17. press — to push
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. content — the amount
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rash — on the skin

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