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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. capital — money
  5. fine — all right
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. capital — a city
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wax — in the ear

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