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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lean — thin
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. suit — clothes

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