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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. press — a publisher
  8. toast — bread
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — goods
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stand — to bear
  19. press — to push
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a grade

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