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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. press — newspapers
  14. kid — child
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fork — in a road
  17. shower — rain
  18. snap — to click
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. shower — to wash
  21. press — to push
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stand — on your feet

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