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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rash — a series
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. press — a publisher
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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