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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. season — in sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mug — to rob
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. season — of the year
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mug — a face
  22. march — the month
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lean — to bend

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