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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. present — there
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. scale — size or range
  6. press — newspapers
  7. present — the time now
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. press — to push
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — in music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — a gift
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wax — to grow
  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