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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 116 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mark — a grade
  13. press — to push
  14. kick — in football
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kick — with a leg

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