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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — to tire
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. key — in music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lean — to bend
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. file — a line of people
  12. tube — a container
  13. press — a publisher
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — thin
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. press — to push
  24. lean — to rest against

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