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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. press — to push
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wax — to grow
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. staff — employees

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