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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — to push
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. march — the month
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chest — a box
  10. march — music
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chest — of your body
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. charge — a price
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chest — of your body

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