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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mate — a friend
  3. capital — money
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — newspapers
  12. drill — army training
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. tube — the underground
  18. capital — a city
  19. press — to push
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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