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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. net — in sport
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. net — after costs
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — to push
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rash — a series
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — hasty
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. snap — to click

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