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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. press — to push
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wax — to grow
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. present — there
  24. wax — in the ear

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