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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — magic
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fork — in a road
  17. drill — army training
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. drill — the tool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. drill — a practice

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