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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. press — to push
  7. pop — music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rule — government
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. press — newspapers
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pop — soda
  23. hand — help
  24. press — a publisher

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