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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. press — to push
  13. capital — a city
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wax — to grow
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. suit — to fit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — a publisher
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. capital — a big letter

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