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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. roll — a list
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — to push
  6. bass — the fish
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lean — to bend
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. press — a publisher
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. spring — a coil
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — low music
  19. spring — the season
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spring — of water
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lean — thin

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