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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. track — to keep track
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. key — the most important part
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — a path
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — to grow
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. foot — a measure
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — a container
  21. key — in music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. tube — in a tire

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