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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. object — a thing
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rest — a break
  6. press — to push
  7. can — a tin
  8. bark — to shout
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — to protest
  11. present — there
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. press — a publisher
  16. object — an aim
  17. present — the time now
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. present — a gift
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rest — what's left

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