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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. current — of water
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a grade
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mark — a trace
  19. root — of a plant
  20. current — happening now
  21. press — a publisher
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. mark — to pay attention

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