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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rash — a series
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — a company
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. firm — decided
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. press — to push
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rest — a break
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rest — what's left
  24. firm — steady

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