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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mate — to breed
  4. roll — a cake
  5. press — to push
  6. roll — a list
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mug — to rob
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mug — a face
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stand — for spectators

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