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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cap — a hat
  4. press — to push
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mug — to rob
  7. row — a line
  8. scale — in music
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cap — of ice
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mug — a face
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. press — newspapers
  18. firm — steady
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — a lid
  24. patient — a sick person

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