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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — to push
  3. spell — letters
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. shower — rain
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rest — a break
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kick — in football
  24. shower — to wash

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