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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — a trace
  3. content — happy
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. board — to get on
  17. press — a publisher
  18. board — a committee
  19. press — newspapers
  20. branch — a division
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. content — the amount
  24. press — to push

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