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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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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wax — to grow
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. court — for sport
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — in a race
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. press — to push
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. band — a ring
  16. pit — a hole
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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