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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — soda
  20. press — to push
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bank — for money
  24. cell — in a prison

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