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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. drill — army training
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — to come down
  9. drill — a practice
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — steady
  13. press — newspapers
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. press — to push
  16. firm — decided
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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