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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. suit — to fit
  3. band — a ring
  4. fine — all right
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spring — the season
  9. suit — in cards
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spring — of water
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — to push
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kick — in football
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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