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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fall — the season
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — certain
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. press — to push
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bound — obliged
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fork — in a road
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — a grade

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