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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lean — thin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. branch — a division
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — a price
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. swing — music
  14. charge — in control
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. press — to push
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wax — to grow
  21. press — a publisher
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bass — low music
  24. press — newspapers

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