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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. face — to confront
  11. mug — a face
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. face — part of the head
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wax — to grow
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wax — for sculpting

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