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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. net — in sport
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rock — music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. can — a tin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rock — a stone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. net — after costs
  18. can — to be able to
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — for catching
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — to recline

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