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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to sink
  5. board — to get on
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pound — a weight
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. wax — to grow
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rest — a break
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. press — to push

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