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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 116 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. press — to push
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cap — a lid
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spring — a coil
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — a hat
  17. spring — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cap — of ice

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