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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wax — to grow
  5. press — to push
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — a permit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. suit — to fit
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. suit — in cards
  24. prune — to trim

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