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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lie — to recline
  4. degree — temperature
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. press — to push
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. degree — from a university
  20. date — the fruit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. season — of the year
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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