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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. row — to paddle
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. press — a publisher
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. club — a group
  10. suit — clothes
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — to fit
  14. press — to push
  15. fall — to drop
  16. row — a line
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — for golf
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — to go on
  23. fall — the season
  24. club — for dancing

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