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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. hand — help
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. press — to push
  13. court — of a king
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. press — newspapers
  18. court — of law
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — to crush
  23. court — for sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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