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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 120 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spring — of water
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — the season
  6. season — in sport
  7. press — to push
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lean — thin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — to move gently

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