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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. press — to push
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — to get on
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — of water
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — of ice
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cap — a lid
  19. current — electric
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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