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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rule — a law
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wake — a trail
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. staff — a stick
  15. scale — in music
  16. press — to push
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lean — to bend
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — thin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rule — government

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