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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. snap — to click
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. suit — clothes
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. suit — to fit
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wax — to grow
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lean — thin
  21. craft — boats
  22. press — to push
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fork — in a road

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