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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. press — newspapers
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — army training
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — a permit
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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