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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. staff — employees
  5. press — newspapers
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. press — to push
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — electric
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. kid — to tease
  13. current — of water
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mug — to rob
  17. kid — child
  18. staff — a stick
  19. tube — a container
  20. current — happening now
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mug — a face
  24. pass — a permit

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