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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. press — to push
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spell — a short time
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bass — low music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. toast — bread
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. patient — a sick person

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