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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 116 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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. march — the month
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. press — a publisher
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. press — to push
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rock — music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hand — help
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wax — in the ear

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