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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fine — high quality
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fine — all right
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. press — to push
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. coach — a trainer

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