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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 116 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — of water
  6. press — a publisher
  7. current — electric
  8. fine — all right
  9. press — to push
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pop — soda
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pop — music
  19. hand — help
  20. current — happening now
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fine — a penalty

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