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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chest — of your body
  5. press — newspapers
  6. chest — of your body
  7. board — to get on
  8. chest — a box
  9. rest — a break
  10. press — a publisher
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — a permit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. board — a committee
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. press — to push

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