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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pound — a weight
  7. file — a tool
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — the underground
  16. file — a document
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. press — newspapers
  19. tube — a container
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ground — crushed
  24. press — a publisher

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