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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. drill — a practice
  3. charge — in control
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. net — after costs
  6. press — newspapers
  7. net — for catching
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. net — in sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fork — in a road
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. drill — the tool
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. drill — army training
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — a price
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. coach — a trainer

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