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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fall — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — a company
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pop — soda
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. firm — decided
  19. press — to push
  20. firm — steady
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pop — music
  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