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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wax — to grow
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. court — of law
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. court — for sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — a break
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. court — of a king
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pop — music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pop — to visit
  21. press — to push
  22. pop — soda
  23. rest — what's left
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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