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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. key — in music
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wax — to grow
  8. kid — child
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — a division
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — a container
  23. kid — to tease
  24. leaves — to go away

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