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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. press — to push
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mark — a trace
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rest — what's left
  11. club — for golf
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rest — a break
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. press — a publisher
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ruler — for measuring

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