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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — after costs
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. key — for a lock
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. net — for catching
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. press — to push
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. press — newspapers
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. sharp — clever
  20. net — in sport
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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