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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. shower — to wash
  6. press — a publisher
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fork — in a road
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — to push
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. key — in music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cabinet — ministers

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